Whether lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic influences alcohol consumption is not well known. This study assesses alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking behavior during the initial phase of pandemic measures in Norway and identifies potential risk factors. A cross-sectional study (N = 25,708) was conducted in Bergen, Norway, following the first six weeks of strict infection control measures. In a model of self-assessed increased alcohol consumption, logistic regression analysis was conducted with independent variables for COVID-19-related worries, joblessness, quarantine, self-reported drinking behavior, age, gender, and occupational situation. These are reported with odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. Fifty-one percent of respondents reported economic or health-related worries due to COVID-19, 16% had been in quarantine, 49% worked/studied from home, 54% reported hazardous drinking behavior, and 13% reported increased alcohol consumption. People aged 30–39 years had elevated odds of increased alcohol consumption during lockdown (OR 3.1, 2.4−3.8) compared to the oldest adults. Increased drinking was more frequent among people reporting economic worries (OR 1.6, 1.4−1.8), those quarantined (OR 1.2, 1.1−1.4), and those studying or working at home (OR 1.4, 1.3−1.6). More than half of respondents reported hazardous drinking behavior. Increased alcohol consumption during lockdown was common among people with economic worries, people in quarantine, and people studying or working at home. These data could be important when adjusting pandemic measures.

In 2015 the Ministry of Health and Care Services was revising the National Action Plan for drug treatment and rehabilitation in Norway. Connected to this, Alcohol and Drug Research Western Norway (KORFOR) examined the health and social issues for older patients with substance-use disorder (SUD) and the possible challenges for the healthcare services. The report to the ministry (KORFOR, 2015) was divided into two general areas: the elderly and alcohol, and the elderly in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT). The report sought to answer the following questions: Which social and health issues do these two groups struggle with? How are the support services for these groups organised and developed, both in the municipalities and the specialist health services? What consequences may an increased number of the elderly in these groups have for the need to increase capacity and to change services?

Background: Use of physical activity in the treatment and follow-up of people receiving opioid substitution therapy is an understudied area of research. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the currently available research on the role of physical activity in opioid substitution therapy and proper adaptions for the group. Methods: A systematic search was performed on PsycINFO, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science until September 2021 (PROSPERO-reg.no: CRD42020109873). The inclusion criteria were studies involving physical activity interventions for opioid substitution patients. Reference lists of relevant studies were screened to identify additional relevant studies. Data extracted were compiled into tables and descriptively presented. Results: The search yielded 2105 unique records. A total of 10 studies were included, whose methodological quality ranged from satisfactory to very good. Study quality was assessed using a 7-/8-point quality score. The agreement between the reviewers, assessed with Cohen’s kappa, was 0.91. Overall, the results suggest that physical activity increases physical fitness of patients in opioid substitution therapy and decreases substance use. The minority of studies in this field are of high quality with sufficient power. Conclusions: The findings of this systematic review suggest beneficial effects of physical activity on physical fitness, substance use, and mental health for patients in opioid substitution therapy. Although the findings are quite consistent across studies, high-quality studies and sufficiently powered clinical trials are needed to confirm and validate the findings and to conclude on the degree of impact.